One Of Corporate America's Most Feared Enemies Was Hit With A Graphic Lawsuit

Faruqi & Faruqi is a tiny Wall Street plaintiffs' law firm
that's made a killing on
"say on pay" litigation against huge corporations.

Now, the small but successful law firm's name has been dominating
the business news for a different reason. It was hit with an
extraordinarily
graphic sexual harassment lawsuit.

The legal insider blog Above
the Law first reported on the lawsuit, which accuses one of
the firm's most successful partners of relentlessly harassing a
junior associate.

Faruqi & Faruqi partner Juan
Monteverde's alleged abuse of 2011 Vanderbilt Law grad
Alexandra Marchuk culminated on the evening of the office holiday
party in December 2011, according to her complaint.

Monteverde asked Marchuk to come into his office that night after
revealing that he probably wouldn't recommend her for a bonus
that year, according to the complaint.

From the complaint, courtesy of Above the Law:

"After entering his office, Mr. Monteverde pushed Ms. Marchuk to
the floor and quickly, forcefully, and painfully had sex with
her. Suffering discomfort and not wanting to continue having sex
with him, Ms. Marchuk implored Mr. Monteverde to stop, but he
disregarded her pleas and continued having sex with her."

"In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act gave shareholders a voice in
dictating how much a company decides to pay its executives. Led
by Mr. Monteverde, Faruqi & Faruqi has used the reforms to
file complaints — and extract settlements — from corporations by
suing them over pay-related matters."

"Mr. Monteverde has also been at the forefront of shareholder
merger litigation, another booming business for the plaintiffs’
bar."

A few days after the holiday party, Marchuk quit the firm and
says the firm never asked about her abrupt departure. She also
says a partner at the firm suggested that Monteverde's
"inappropriate behavior" could cost Faruqi & Faruqi a lot
money, according to the suit.

Faruqi & Faruqi denies the allegations. “These claims are
completely without merit, brought by a disgruntled former
employee,” partner Lubna M.
Faruqi, told Above the Law. “We look forward to aggressively
defending our reputation in court and have every confidence we
will be vindicated.”

Monteverde did not immediately respond to Business
Insider's request for comment Friday.